Alissa's adventures in Oysterland
by Julie Winchester
Summary: New title ! When Alissa, Jack's daughter, steps through the Looking Glass to Oyster world, how will she manage to survive and go back to Wonderland ? A/H, J/D. Eventually Alissa/OC.
1. Prologue

ALICE IN WONDERLAND – THE NEXT GENERATION

Disclaimer : Nothing is mine, except for the children. Obviously.

Author's note 1 : OK so this title is really bad. But I didn't have any ideas and I absolutely needed one to publish this.

Author's note 2 : I might make a few mistakes here and there, mistakes that seem obvious to anyone reading this but me. Please do not flame, I'm not ignorant, I'm just French. I've been learning your language for eight years or so and I'm quite fluent ; but since this is not my everyday language, I might make stupid mistakes. Don't flame, but do tell me when I make some. Please note that this is also the first time I'm writing in English.

Author's note 3 : Since I'm French, that implies I'm living in France. So I didn't recognize the city where Alice lives; for all I know it could be London or Chicago, for instance. So I decided to make her live in New York City.

Prologue

New York City – 5 years after the miniseries.

Alice was kneeled over the bowl, throwing all she knew. Hatter's voice came from behind the bathroom door : "Alice ? You okay ?"

She wiped her mouth, sighing. She had been sick every morning the past two weeks. Her period should have come a week ago. She knew what was happening-of course-but she was afraid to tell Hatter. What would he say ? She sighed again. _Well, let's find out... s_he came out of the bathroom to see her husband waiting for her, resting against the wall, a look of genuine concern on his face.

"It's been two weeks of that, Kettle. Don't you think you should go and see a doctor ?"

"I'll go tomorrow," Alice agreed.

She would need an osbtetrician after all, if she was indeed pregnant.

"Hatter... May I ask you a question ?"

"Anything you want, Kettle." he replied.

"Did you ever consider having children ?" she asked.

The question seemed to startle him. Finally he said : "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know ? You must know if you ever thought about having children !" she demanded.

"Well, yes, once or twice. But back then I was running the Tea Shop, and I had no woman in my life and even if I had, I didn't think it was the best time to have children. So I just put it in the back of my mind. Why are you asking this anyway ?" he asked.

"Well...", she trailed off

How was she going to tell him ?

"You might want to consider it..." she said...

He blinked. Did she mean... ?

"You're pregnant ?" he asked, stunned.

"I think I could be." she whispered.

For a moment he thought she was joking, but she sounded deadly serious. He blinked once, then twice. When it finally sunk into his head, he had a reaction that would stick with him for years.

He fainted.

_**Wonderland – that same day.**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I will kill you for that, Jack Frederick Heart! You will never touch me again!" the queen screamed.

"You're almost done, Your Majesty!" the seven of Diamonds assisting the Queen in her delivery said nervously. "Only a few minutes now!"

Jack Frederick Heart, the King of Wonderland, paced behind the door of his wife's chambers. Diane had been there for ten hours of labor and he still hadn't any news other than the screams coming from the other side of the door. He had specifically commanded that unless extreme emergency, he was not to be disturbed until the birth of his child. He knew that the whole palace hoped the Queen would give an heir to the throne; every time a woman had been Queen because of her birth instead of marriage, it had turned out to be a disaster. As for him, he only wanted his wife and child to be healthy, whether it was male or female.

They had already planned the names they would give the baby; if a son was born, he would be named Alexander Winston Heart. Diane had insisted that the former King should be remembered after Jack's mother had revealed how he had died. A daughter would be named Alissa Carolyn Heart, in memory of both Alices of Legend. Although he had suggested naming her 'Alice', his wife had firmly refused. No way would she name her child after her husband's old flame, no matter how popular she was. They had to compromise on Alissa, which was close enough without being too close.

And now, there he was, waiting for his son or daughter to be born. He couldn't help but worry about Diane, especially when he heard her screaming. Finally, a kind of caterwaul startled the King. The seven of Diamonds came out of the chambers, a tiny thing in her arms, "Congratulations, Your Majesty... it's a beautiful little girl !"

Jack held the baby in his arms, smiling at her, "How is my wife ?"

"Tired, but fine", assured the girl. "She's waiting for you."

_**New York City – a few months later.**_

"Congratulations ! It's a boy !"

Hatter gulped when the midwife gave him the baby, "What if I drop him ?"

Alice laughed softly, "You won't drop him, silly ! And you won't break him, either."

"He's beautiful", whispered Hatter. "Thank you, Kettle."

"You are as responsible for that as I am", she reminded him. "But yes, he _is_ beautiful."

The baby yawned and closed his eyes.

"He's falling asleep", whispered Hatter. "What do I do ?"

"Put him in his bed, of course", Alice answered. "He'll sleep a lot at the beginning."

Hatter gently laid his son in his bed, "Sleep well, Andreas."


	2. Chapter 1 : Not again

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except, in this chapter, for Alissa and the White Side Royal Family.

Author's note: Sorry but I don't want to make a story when they raise their kids. I would be bored very quickly. But if you want to write it, please do^^ Just tell me before you do^^

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews !

Saucy-Dack : I will publish a chapter every Saturday ; that way I'll have some in store just in case I can't write during some time. Although some times I will publish on Fridays, because on Saturdays I sometime have my 'baby brother' at home ; since he's only two-years-old, I don't use my computer very much when he is here^^

Catesy : Yes, I noticed that^^ Well Rue Mo suggested titles, but I'm open to any suggestion^^

Rue Mo : Thanks for your suggestion^^ Yes future fic, I love those^^

silver-roses12 : You have no idea how touched I am by your review, although my beta (Casy Dee) corrected me a _lot_ for the prologue, mostly for the punctuation. So your name is Alissa ? Well, I hope you like the princess !

And now, on with the story...

Chapter 1: Not again...

"Alissa, are you ready ?"

The princess's nurse asked as she entered in the room to see her pupil dressed like a boy, still covered with dust. She sighed, "Princess, don't tell me you were riding a horse when you should have been getting ready for tonight's ball?"

"Why do I even have to attend that ball? I hate dancing!" the princess pouted.

The nurse sighed again, "Alissa, I already told you. The White Side Prince will be at this ball and it's very important that you meet and dance with him. A marriage between the both of you could put an end to one hundred and seventy years of opposition!"

"But what if I don't love this Prince?" worried Alissa.

"You will marry him, whether the two of you like it or not!"

The King's strong voice resounded in the chamber, reducing Alissa to an obstinate silence. Sighing, he explained, "Marriage is not a matter of love but of politics, when it comes to royalty. And although I love you with all my heart, the interests of the country have to come first. And marrying you to Dimitri might be the only way to prevent a war."

"But... what if he doesn't treat me properly? I heard stories about White Siders... And about this prince... They say he doesn't like women..." tried the girl.

"Alissa!" warned her father. "You will go to this ball. You are seventeen; it is great time that you learn your duties as a princess of Wonderland. Now get dressed, and I want you to be ready in two hours."

On these words, he stormed out of the room.

When Alissa made her appearance at the ball that evening she was stunning; she was the spitting image of her mother at the same age. Alissa had dressed for the evening's festivities as the first Alice who had come to Wonderland. Graciously she sat on her mother's left side, smiling to their guests. The King of the White Side was sat on Jack's right, his wife and son at his side. Wanting to make her family proud, she behaved like a perfect princess. She wanted to prove that, although stubborn, she could be charming as well, if she wanted to. When the dinner was over, Prince Dimitri came to ask her for a dance. Reluctantly, she agreed and they waltzed together for the next two hours. All was going well, until she felt his hands on her bottom.

Not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone, she whispered harshly, "Move your hands immediately."

"I'm afraid this part of your anatomy is far more comfortable for them," Dimitri replied quietly.

"Let go!", she insisted.

With a sardonic smile, he grasped her bottom more tightly, persuaded that she would not dare ruin the party. It was too bad he didn't know her better; because then he would have realized that Alissa always rose to a challenge. Looking in his eyes, she slowly raised her hand and slapped him.

Jack was beyond furious. Couldn't the girl behave for one night? "Alissa! A word with you, in your room. NOW!"

"Jack", whispered Diane, "don't be too harsh with her. This young man..."

"You are way too soft with her, Diane," he answered sternly. "Now it's my turn to deal with her if I want to avoid a war!"

Alissa exited the ball room with tears in her eyes, but did not hurry to go into her chamber. Instead, she wandered around the palace, exploring unfamiliar areas of the palace. Pushing a heavy door, she ended up in a darkened room. The only thing visible in the dim lighting was a shining object, hidden in a corner. Could it be purposely hidden? Her curiosity aroused, Alissa got closer to the mysterious object. She held back a whistle. She had always been fond of national history, and immediately recognized the artifact.

"So this is where Father hid the famous Looking Glass... I wonder if the Stone is here, as well?"

A quick reconnaissance in the room produced a ring matching the description of the Stone of Wonderland. She thought it was not very careful from her father to hide both artifacts in the same room; but in this particular case, it came in handy. Alissa had always wished to discover the Oysters' world... She would take the Ring so she could come back whenever she wanted. _Maybe if I stay out there long enough, the White and Red Sides will have found another way to ensure peace... A way __that will not force me into a wedding with this boor..._

"Alissa! Don't try to hide from me, young lady! You will be punished whether you like it or not..."

The princess jumped. She had to hide! If her father found her in this room, standing near the Looking Glass... Hell, she didn't want to think about what he would do then. She hurried to restart the Glass, and then put the Ring on her finger.

Jack stopped as he entered the room, and saw his daughter stepping into the Looking Glass. He buried his face in his hands, thinking about everything that could go wrong with Alissa in the Oyster's world. _Oh, no... _he thought. _Not again..._


	3. Chapter 2 : Troubles

Hi everyone! This chapter should have been published tomorrow, since the baby is with his mom. But tomorrow, my sister turns 15 so I probably won't be able to use Internet - well, I could, but that would be rude, wouldn't it ?

Summary from last chapter: Alissa, Jack's daughter, is now seventeen. As a princess, and being the heiress to the throne, she has to marry the White Side Prince, Dimitri, to prevent a war. But during a ball, the Prince acts like a boor and she slaps him. Wanting to avoid her father's reprimand, she wanders around the palace and finds the Looking Glass, hidden in a dark place... Jack enters the room just in time to see her stepping into the Looking Glass.

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine except for Alissa and Andreas.

Rue Mo : Yes, Dimitri's behavior isn't what one would expect from a Prince, right ? As for Oysterland... You'll see ;-)

Saucy Duck : Maybe I should have said it, but Jack didn't see Dimitri grabbing his daughter's bottom. All he saw was two teens dancing, then the slapping.

Thanks to Casy Dee for her wonderful beta work.

Chapter 2: Troubles

When she fell out of the Looking Glass, Alissa discovered that it was the night in this world as well as in hers. If she recalled correctly, when the Looking Glass had been shut and hidden, it was adjusted so that time in Wonderland matched time in... Oysterland, as she called it. Standing up, the Princess dusted her dress and looked around her. She was in a building, an abandoned one by the look of it. With dignity, she walked out of the lagging and ended up in the street. She tried to remember her lessons; if she wanted to sleep in a bed, she needed a hotel... But then she would have to give money, and she didn't have any with her. She then realized how foolish she had been, stepping into the Looking Glass without anything but her clothes on her.

"My, my, my... Guys... who's this?"

She quickly turned around to find a group of ten boys, visibly around her age, looking at her like cats would look at a mouse. The older one, who also seemed to be the leader, was probably nineteen or so, the younger, no more than fifteen. The leader of the group went on, "A little chick, lost in New York City in the middle of the night... You should be careful, miss; we don't want anything unfortunate to happen to you, do we?"

The other boys sniggered. Alissa thought it would be better to seem cooperative and explained, "I'm new in town and I'm afraid I can't find my way home."

"Well, maybe we could protect you... But of course, one good turn **deserves** another, right?" suggested the boy.

"I'm afraid I don't have any money..."

Alissa began to worry. Would these boys harm her if she couldn't pay them? They started to surround her, getting closer and closer. One of them noticed the Stone on her finger and called, "Hey, boss! Look at her ring! The chick must be pretty rich..."

"No, please, don't take my ring... Anything you want, but this ring is special..."

Alissa knew she had made a mistake when she saw the looks on her attackers' faces. One of the boys took the Stone from her finger and, looking her up and down and whistle his appraisal, "Hey, boss... Maybe we could get another payment, if you see what I mean..."

"Or maybe you could attack someone who can fight?"

Alissa could have cried out of relief. Another boy was standing behind the group. Chocolate hair, chocolate eyes... With a fedora on his head, a good haircut, and a few years more, he could have been the famous Hatter. The leader of the group sniffed with contempt and said "Mind your own business, kiddo. This is for grown-ups."

"Yes, I guess ten boys against a girl alone is a sign of maturity," replied the new boy calmly.

'Boss' sighed with annoyance, "Show him what happens to reckless children, boys."

The chocolate-haired boy smiled, as if knowing something they didn't. What happened next was too quick for Alissa to be able to understand it. Using his arms and legs in a way she had never seen before, he knocked half of the boys out, causing the rest of them to back down towards their leader.

"I just overcame five of your 'soldiers'" the boy stated calmly. "I think I can overcome five more kids who want to play with the big boys. But I might be wrong, who knows? Maybe you are all stronger than me. Maybe you could take me." He paused, looking at them one by one, ending with the leader. "Now the question is... will you take the risk?"

The youngest boys shared worried glances.

"My, my, my, looks like your friends are considering life or death. Oh, and it appears life won", he added as the boys ran away, chased by their infuriated leader.

Alissa sighed of relief, before realizing they'd gone with her ring. Biting her lip, she thanked her savior before asking, "What will you do about the ones you knocked out?"

"I'll leave them here until they wake up, of course. Are you okay?"

"I am, but it was stupid of you. Your were ten against one, for heaven's sake! You could have gotten yourself stabbed or killed!"

"Don't choke on your gratitude," he replied with acidity. "Just so you know, I was trained in karate by my mother, and she's a black belt."

Alissa was confused. What was karate, and which connection did it have with the color of your clothes?

"By the way, the name's Andreas. Andreas Hamilton Andrews."

_Hamilton... As in Alice Hamilton ?_

"Are you... Who are your parents?" she asked, in order to ensure that he was who she thought.

"Alice Hamilton and David Andrews, aka Hatter. Don't ask why, I never had the same explanation twice." explained Andreas. "Why?"he added, intrigued by the question.

"Because my name's Alissa Carolyn Heart, and I'm the Princess of Wonderland."

TBC

Tadaaaam ! Hehe, I know, I should not make such an end to a chapter. How will Andreas react? Will he believe her, or did his parents never told him about how they met?

Next chapter, you'll get to see Alice and Hatter^^


	4. Chapter 3 : Meet the Legends

Disclaimer: As usual, nothing you can recognize from the show is mine. If you want to use my OC in your own story, please tell me first.

Summary of previous chapters: Alissa, Jack's daughter, is now seventeen. As a princess, and being the heiress to the throne, she has to marry the White Side Prince, Dimitri, to prevent a war. After a ball that turns out into a disaster, she finds the Looking Glass and step into our world. There, the Stone is robbed by a bunch of delinquents, who are about to harm her when a young boy comes to her rescue. After having put them to flight, he introduces himself as Andreas Hamilton Hatter. Alissa then reveals she's the Princess of Wonderland...

Rue Mo : Thanks for your review. Yes they ran with the ring... Complications, complications...

And now, the story continues...

Chapter 3 : Meet the Legends

Andreas looked at her doubtfully, "My father said Jack had shut the Looking Glass. So how can you be here?"

"I need to meet your parents," she said, ignoring the question. "They can help me to go back."

"You don't need them," said a confused Andreas, "you only need to go back to the Looking Glass and..."

"I know that, stupid boy," she interrupted him. "The problem is, these thieves stole the Ring. They took it from my finger."

God, this boy was infuriating. How could he speak to her like that? How dare he question her?

"Well then, Alissa..." he started.

"Your Highness! I am a Princess, and I shall be addressed as one." she demanded.

Andreas closed his eyes, briefly. She treated him like a peasant, or a servant! Then a wicked smile spread upon his face. His father would just _hate_ this attitude, especially coming from a child. And although Andreas liked to think of himself as a man, no doubt that, in Hatter's eyes, they were both children. He would put the royal pain in the ass right into place, and he would not use delicacy. Oh yeah, _that_ would be something to see.

Still smiling, he replied, "Well then, _Your Highness_, will you please follow me to my humble house? There you can meet my parents, who will no doubt treat you as you deserve it."

She glanced suspiciously at him, but reluctantly agreed, "Show me the way. I hope we will not have to walk for too long, though."

"Walk? But Your Highness, who said we were going to walk? You shall ride on my bike."

He headed towards a peculiar engine, and motioned for Alissa to get on it.

"This... thing... is safe?" she asked doubtfully.

"Safer and quicker than walking through New York City by night. Especially in this neighborhood," he added. "Now put this on your head," he advised while holding a helmet to her, "and hold on to my waist, if you don't want to fall."

As soon as he started the bike, she grasped his waist as if it were a life preserver; she screamed when they gained some speed. When he finally stopped the engine before a house, she was shaking with terror. _Looks like the royal pain is afraid of speed_, Andreas noticed with satisfaction. This information could be useful...

"We live in this," he informed her. "My father runs the shop, and we live in an appartment on the first floor."

He chained his bike, and led her into the house.

"It's ten-thirty in the evening, I hope they won't be mad at me for coming home late... Bah, I'll explain I was rescuing you", he said with a sly smile. Then he called, "Mom ! Dad ! I'm home !"

A woman with long dark hair came and, hands on her hips, scolded, "You were supposed to be home half an hour ago, young man."

Then she noticed Alissa, and paled considerably. _I never thought I would see this face again_, Alice thought. With a trembling voice, she called, "Hatter? Could you come here, please?"

"Comin' in a minute, honey!" a man's voice came from another room.

Alissa was too intimidated to talk. She was in front of the second Alice of legend! But why did she look like she had just seen a ghost?

Alice composed herself. This girl was _not_ the Duchess. The Duchess had seemed to be around twenty when they had – briefly – met, and that was years ago. Now she was probably around forty, just like herself. There was no way she was around seventeen.

"Is this your girlfriend, Andreas?" She asked, trying to understand.

"Hardly," he replied instantly. "Mom, let me introduce you, Her Highness Alissa, Princess of Wonderland."

The noise of something breaking resounded in the living room, and a man who had Andreas's eyes and hair – but shorter – burst into the room. "Princess of Wonderland? As in, Jack's daughter?" he asked with a frown.

"Well, yes," she replied with confusion.

Hatter buried his face in his hand. "Great. Just great. Another member of the Heart family – and a future Queen, with that!"

"I don't understand," said Alice softly. "What's wrong with being a future Queen?"

"Every Queen ever born in the Heart family became a tyrant," explained her husband. "Alissa here might seem unable to kill a fly, but when she is older..."

The said Alissa was starting to fume. Being a legend did not allow him to speak to her like that!

"Hum, hello? I am right here! Besides, who are you to just call me by my first name? Need I remind you that I am a Princess?"

Hatter pretended he did not hear her and asked Andreas, "Where did you find this girl, son?"

"She was in Central Park. I guess she landed there after her trip through the Looking Glass," the boy assumed. "She had trouble with a bunch of guys, but I helped her," he added with pride.

"Yes, and you were ten to one, which was quite foolish."

Andreas's parents watched them arguing and shared a smile, a smile that meant _I know how this will end..._

But the boy noticed that and warned them, "Oh, no. Do not even _think_ that I might like this girl, or that she might like me. No way."

"Oh, really, no way you will like me?" snapped Alissa, "Let me inform you that in Wonderland, I am considered a very good match, and one of the most beautiful girls in the Red Side!"

"Then I fear for Wonderland boys," sniggered Andreas, "because if _you _are beautiful, then I don't want to meet any ordinary girl."

"This is an outrage! I'm a Princess and I shall not be addressed this way by a nobody!"

Hatter then felt he had to intervene.

"You stop right now, young lady. There are a few things that you need to learn. Number one, in Wonderland, you were a princess. But this is not Wonderland. This is another world, and here you are just like us. Number two, I am old enough to be your father, so I expect you to treat me and my wife with respect."

Alissa looked astonished.

"And number three," the man went on, "I heard you mention something about me being a legend. I don't care about that crap; I was there, and I can tell you that your legend is probably very oblivious of some facts. If you are nice, maybe Alice and I will tell you the real story."

Andreas was jubilant. Finally, the royal pain in the ass was getting what she deserved... His mother then turned to him.

"Don't you think you can get away from your punishment, young man. I don't think it took you half an hour to rescue Alissa. Not to mention that she's right; it _was_ foolish of you to fight ten boys. Knowing karate doesn't make you invincible."

Alissa held back a laugh at the boy's face, knowing that his parents would not like it if she made fun of their son.

"You will have to help your father at the shop after school," Alice went on. "And since you were thirty minutes late, your punishment will last thirty days, starting tomorrow."

"Yes, Mom", sighed Andreas.

Wow this one was a bit longer than the previous chapters! Next time, Alissa shall explain why she came...


	5. Chapter 4 : Missing Treasures

Hey guys! OK so I know I said this chapter would be about Alissa's explanations, but I felt more inspired to explore the other side of the Looking Glass... How does Diane react after learning her daughter ran off? Sorry I'm late, blame a writer's block and my beta's work...

Disclaimer : As usual, nothing you can recognize from the show is mine.

Summary of previous chapters :

Alissa, Jack's daughter, is now seventeen. As a princess, and being the heiress to the throne, she has to marry the White Side Prince, Dimitri, to prevent a war. After a ball that turns out into a disaster, she finds the Looking Glass and step into our world. There, the Stone is robbed by a bunch of delinquents, who are about to harm her when a young boy comes to her rescue. After having put them to flight, he introduces himself as Andreas Hamilton Hatter. Alissa then reveals she's the Princess of Wonderland, so the boy takes her home, which causes Alice to be shocked from the resemblance between Alissa and her mother.

RAR : Rue Mo : Yes, Andreas has a motorcycle... And Alissa is very spoiled. As you say she's a princess, and in a new place... That will cause some fun in next chapter, but hush, I won't tell anything else...

Ashley Pendragon : A new reader, wonderful ! Alissa doesn't allow herself to be impish, because she was told for years that it wasn't appropriate for a princess. But she might be later, who knows...

Thanks to both of you for your reviews, and thanks to those who read without reviewing...

Chapter 4 : Missing Treasures

When Jack came back to the festivities room, his wife immediately noticed his worried look.

"Jack, what happened? Where's Alissa?"

"I'll tell you later," he answered, avoiding her gaze.

This only brought more suspicion to Diane's mind. Not noticing it, the King quickly ended the party, giving no explanation other than a family emergency. When everyone, to include the White Royal Family, was gone, the Queen determinedly dragged Jack to their chambers and closed the door behind them.

"Now you will tell me exactly what happened," she demanded. "Why didn't you come back with Alissa?"

Jack sighed, knowing she wouldn't like the answer, "Because she ran away."

"Because _what_?" Diane screamed, "How did this happen exactly?"

"She stepped into the Looking Glass. And she wears the Stone, so I can't control the Looking Glass anymore. I can't even see when and where she went to," Jack explained.

"Are you saying that my daughter is in Oysterland, in a place that might be New York or China for all you know, in a time that could be Middle Age or a hundred years from now? And with the most precious treasure of Wonderland on top of that?"

"Well..."Jack started, "yes, that about sums it up."

Diane started to breathe slowly, trying to calm down, "I thought you had hidden the Looking Glass. And the Stone."

"You were right," Jack answered.

"Then how did she have enough time to find both of them? You didn't hide them in the same room, did you?"

Jack avoided her gaze, and Diane's suspicions were confirmed.

"You did, then," she stated.

Still not looking at her, expecting the outburst of rage to come, he answered, "Yes. I did."

"What were you thinking, for heaven's sake? _Anyone_ would have known better than to hide them together!"

Jack scowled. He loved his wife, but when she screamed, her voice was shrill enough to hurt any man's ears. He watched, worrying, as she paced in the room, in a futile attempt not to panic. The mother in Diane couldn't help but think about every danger she knew from her studies about Oysterland. What if she ended up in Iraq or someplace like that? Her husband put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find her, darling. I promise," he added solemnly. "Tomorrow, I'll ask our best technicians to try and guess when and where she ended up."

"And what if she ended up in a time we don't know anything about? Like prehistory, or the future? Hell, what if she ended up in the middle of the witch hunt? She'll probably be seen as one, and burned!"

Jack had to admit that was a possibility, no matter how little he wanted to think about it.

"We can only hope she didn't," he concluded in a somber voice.

In the same time, the White King, Cordane Aries, and his wife Queen Ksenia were looking at their only son with sternness.

Cordane asked, with a tone implying that Dimitri would be wise not to lie to him, "Would you care to explain why Princess Alissa felt the need to slap you in the middle of a dance?"

The Prince shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe she didn't like my dancing skills."

"Don't try to fool me, young man! I've seen you with girls before. What did you do this time?"

"It was nothing really," Dimitri started. Seeing how his father was growing impatient, he quickly added, "I... might have accidentally grabbed her bottom..."

Ksenia hid her face in her hands while Cordane grumbled, "What have I done to the Gods to have a son so unaware of good manners?"

"Why do you care? She's just a Red Sider! Merely better than a prostitute!" the Prince protested.

He didn't see the slap in the face coming from his father. Raising his hand to his cheek, he looked at the King with disbelief.

"Don't look at me like I suddenly grew a new head."

"You slapped me!" the Prince was still shocked.

"You deserved it. You don't seem to realize that your actions might jeopardize the peace!"

"Oh, please, father," Dimitri sounded annoyed, "give me a break. I didn't rape her; I just... showed her my appreciation of her feminine attributes."

"Yes, and if the King of Hearts learns that you manly handled his daughter, what do you think he will do? How would you act if a boy acted like this with your sister?"

Dimitri frowned, "I would probably kill him." His eyes shot wide open, "You don't think the King will do this?"

"I truly hope he won't. But he might also break the treaty, and if peace is jeopardized because you couldn't keep your hands in an appropriate place, I swear to you that you no longer will be in direct line to inherit the throne after my death."

Dimitri gulped. The days to come were going to be quite dark for him...


	6. Chapter 5 : Explanations

Hey guys, so here it is! I had not planned the first part of this chapter, but my Alissa seems to do what she wants... Hope you like to see her struggle with something as ordinary as making breakfast!

Disclaimer: As usual, nothing you can recognize from the show is mine. Even the idea of living over a tea shop isn't, I borrowed it to my wonderful beta Casy. If you want to use my OC in your own story, please tell me first.

Summary of previous chapters : Alissa, Jack's daughter, is now seventeen. As a princess, and being the heiress to the throne, she has to marry the White Side Prince, Dimitri, to prevent a war. After a ball that turns out into a disaster, she finds the Looking Glass and step into our world. There, the Stone is robbed by a bunch of delinquents, who are about to harm her when a young boy comes to her rescue. After having put them to flight, he introduces himself as Andreas Hamilton Hatter. When Alissa reveals she's the Princess of Wonderland, the boy brings her to his home, where she meets Alice and Hatter...

Answers to reviews :

Ashley Pendragon : Will she be influenced by Hatter and Andreas ? Maybe, maybe not...

Rue Mo : Glad you liked it, I will do others like that then.

Chapter 5: Explanations

Alissa had to share Andreas's bedroom that night, because it was too late for Alice and Hatter to prepare the spare bedroom. Because she was a girl, and a guest, she got to use the bed while Andreas slept in a sleeping bag on the floor. The next morning, she was very surprised to be the last one to wake up. She wandered around the flat, her growling stomach leading her into the kitchen. She discovered nothing was ready for breakfast, but being a princess that was used to be served, she just sat at the table, waiting.

When Andreas came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, and saw her sitting at the table doing nothing, he frowned, "Huh, excuse me? What exactly are you waiting for?"

"Someone to make me breakfast, of course," she answered as though the answer was obvious.

Shaking his head, he answered, "Well Mom left to the dojo about two hours ago, and Dad must be in the morning rush at the tea shop; as for me, I'm on the verge of being late for school, so I really don't have time to make you breakfast. You'll have to do it yourself."

Heading towards the closet, he grabbed a box of cereal, then a bottle of milk out of the fridge, and put them on the table, "You find a bowl, a spoon, and figure the rest out. I need to get dressed and leave for school. Mom and I will be back for lunch."

With these words, he left to his bedroom to put on some clothes, and then got out of the flat without seeing her again. Left alone, she searched for a bowl and a spoon as he had advised her, and then looked at the box in hope to understand how to use it. After staring at it for a while, she decided to simply turn it upside down over the bowl... and spread the cereal all over the table! Frowning, she shrugged it away. At least, there was cereal in the bowl. Surely Alice and Hatter of Legend had at least a maid to clean the house, right? Not knowing what to do with the bottle of milk, she acted exactly the same... and got the same result.

She somehow managed to eat the whole bowl, and got to the shower... to discover when she came out that her regular clothes had disappeared. She remembered Alice of Second Legend taking them the evening before and giving her some pajamas to wear for the night. But what did she do with the clothes?

After searching the whole flat without being able to find them, she decided to wear her pajamas until Alice of Second Legend's return. She spent the morning wandering around the flat, looking for something to entertain herself.

Around noon, Alice entered the apartment to find the kitchen in an awful mess. Gaping at the sight before her – cereal and milk everywhere, the bottle of milk open and out of the fridge – she briefly wondered what storm had passed through the apartment.

Eyes wide open, she screamed, "Alissa!"

She was surprised to see the princess rushing toward the kitchen, still in her pajamas.

"Yes?"

"Care to explain why my kitchen, that was all clean when I left, now looks as though a storm was in there?" Alice fumed.

"Well," Alissa started, "Andreas refused to make me breakfast, saying he had no time and I had to do it by myself. But I never made a meal in my whole life, and I'm afraid it didn't go very well. I thought that your house cleaner would come and do her job, but I think you should fire her, because she didn't."

Alice closed her eyes for a second, trying not to get angry, then said, "Alissa, if Hatter and I could afford a house cleaner, we sure as hell wouldn't live in a little apartment over his shop! No you go dress yourself, and then you will clean up the kitchen so I can make lunch."

Alissa didn't move, looking embarrassed. She explained, "I don't know where my clothes are. You took them yesterday and gave me those pajamas, but you didn't tell me where you had taken my dress."

It was only then that Alice realized the girl hadn't brought anything with her. She softened and said, "It was dirty so I put it in the washing machine. I didn't think that you had nothing else to wear. Come with me; you're almost my height and size, so my clothes should fit you. You can even choose which ones you want to wear. Tomorrow, I'll take a day off and you'll discover the joys of shopping."

Silently, Alissa followed her hostess toward her bedroom, once inside, she opened the closet door and showed her it was full of assorted clothing. Her eyes widened when she saw a blue dress; it was very simple, really un-princess-like, but she felt inexplicably attracted to it.

Picking its hanger up carefully, she asked, "May I please have this one?"

Alice stared back at her, wide-eyed. With a trembling voice, she said, "You want to borrow _the_ dress?"

"I don't understand," Alissa frowned. "Is this dress special in some way?"

"Yes, it is," Alice answered softly. "It is the dress I was wearing the night I met Hatter – the night everything began."

"Oh," Alissa replied, "then I'll pick another one. I don't want to..."

"No, it's fine," assured Alice with a smile. "Just, don't keep it, okay? I'll take it back when you go back to Wonderland."

The young princess nodded with enthusiasm and, without thinking, hugged Alice tightly. Then, realizing what she had done, she retreated, blushing and apologizing. The woman assured her it was all right.

Alissa didn't like the idea of cleaning up the whole mess of the kitchen, but understood Alice gave her no choice. Wearing an apron, she discovered exactly what her father's servants had to do every day.

After lunch Alice had to go back to the dojo; Alissa spent the afternoon reading a book she had found in Andreas's chambers. When he and his father came back after closing the shop, very soon followed by the lady of the house, she felt the tension grow and grow until dinner; she wasn't the only one to feel it, though. Andreas frequently looked at his parents, not understanding why they were suddenly so tense.

This lasted until dinner, during which Alissa just burst out, "OK, have I done something wrong? Because I feel like there is a problem and I don't know why."

"You've done nothing wrong," Alice answered sweetly. "We were just waiting for the right moment to ask you..."

"I think what Mom is trying to say," intervened Andreas, "is: 'What are you doing here?'"

Alissa swallowed, she knew this would come, "Well, I am here because I ran off from the palace and went through the Looking Glass."

"Maybe you should... tell us everything from the beginning. We also have a few questions to ask," warned Hatter.

"Of course... Well, as you probably guessed, I'm Jack Heart's daughter,"

"And who is your mother?" asked Alice.

"Diane of Diamonds, former duchess and now Queen of Wonderland," Alissa answered. "They say I look a lot like her when she was my age."

"Yes, you do," answered Hatter, "I used to see her from time to time when I lived there and you are a remarkable likeness."

"Anyway, I was born seventeen years ago; my father wanted to name me Alice, because of both Alices of Legend, but my mother never agreed to that."

"I wonder why," Hatter whispered.

"Actually, _I _do," said Andreas, "Why couldn't you be named after my mother?"

"Probably because her father and I had been dating for a while when I met your dad," Alice answered naturally. "I bet he never told you that," she added toward Alissa, "did he?"

"No, he didn't. He never talks about it, although we learn the story in school, well, at least part of it. Anyway, they finally settled on Alissa; it was a good reminder of your name, without really being it. A few days ago, my father told me that he wanted to make peace with the White Side."

"Are you serious?" Hatter said with incredulity. "They've been on the verge of war ever since I was a toddler!"

"Yes, but for many years the Knights were there to ensure peace; and when my grandmother was on the throne, she was not a threat to them, since she didn't really care about other territories. But now there are no Knights anymore..."

"No Knights? But... what happened to Charlie?" Alice intervened. "He was the White Knight when I was there…"

"Oh you probably mean Sir Charles. He died a long time ago. I wasn't ten yet when it happened." Seeing the pained look on their faces, the girl asked, "Was he a... good friend of yours?"

"Yes," Alice answered softly. "He was that, and even more."

"I'm sorry. But as I said, there was nothing now preventing the White Side and the Red Side from fighting, so in order to ensure long lasting peace, my parents decided I was to marry the White Prince."

"What? But you're seventeen! That's way too young!"

"Maybe for you, Alice of Legend; but for royals, it is not."

"She is right, Alice. Jack and Duch... I mean, Diane, were engaged when they turned fifteen."

"I would have agreed, but you should have seen this guy!" Alissa exclaimed.

Alissa then related the events of the ball, until the moment she stormed out of the room, "Then I was heading towards my chamber, when someone, all dressed in black, dragged me to another place. I tried to fight, but he was much stronger than me... He dragged me into that room and then I saw the Looking Glass, I recognized it because we saw paintings of it in school. The man activated it, and then he put the Stone of Wonderland on my finger and pushed me through the Glass. I was then attacked by the boys your son made flee, but before he came they took the ring. So I am stuck here, without any idea about how I can come back and what I can do."

That's all for now, folks. So as you see, our princess is a bit of a liar... Will she con Alice and Hatter? And what will they do about her? You shall see this in chapter 6...


End file.
